Things to do in Mai Chau
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Mai Chau
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Green fields from March, Hoa Ban blossom in March, and the first golden harvest in May, with warm mostly dry weather.
Rainy season at its heaviest: lush green fields and full waterfalls, but flooded low roads, muddy Pu Luong trails and possible Bat Cave closure.
Second and most scenic harvest: golden fields in Mai Chau in September and golden Pu Luong terraces in September and October. Peak demand.
Dry and cool with bare post-harvest fields, cold stilt house nights, and the best Hang Kia and Pa Co cloud mornings from November to April.
What's on
- Pa Co Market Every Sunday, 5am to 9am, year round
A weekly Hmong market in Pa Co, listed here by its peak harvest season month; it runs every Sunday in every month.
- Tet (Lunar New Year) Late January to early February, varies by year
Domestic crowds, higher prices, closed family businesses and strained transport for several days.
- Hoa Ban Blossom March
Bauhinia blossom season in the Mai Chau valley, coinciding with green rice and dry cycling weather.
Best things to do in Mai Chau
Ban Lac Village
The valley's best known White Thai stilt house village, flat lanes for cycling and looms under almost every house.
Pom Coong Village
Quieter sister village to Ban Lac, stilt houses and weaving a short walk from town across the rice fields.
Chieu Cave
A big limestone cave above Mai Chau town reached by more than 1,200 stone steps, with valley views all the way up.
Mo Luong Cave
A four chamber limestone cave near Ban Lac with an underground stream, an easy add on to a village cycling loop.
Hoa Ban Plus
A Ban Lac social enterprise shop training White Thai women in weaving, the most ethical place to buy brocade.
Where to stay in Mai Chau
Ban Lac and Pom Coong villages
first trip, cycling, homestay life
Stilt houses in the fields, free bikes, family dinners and dance shows, with Pom Coong quieter than Ban Lac.
Na Phon and Na Thia
comfort in the valley without a resort
Home to Little Mai Chau Homestay and Mai Chau Ecolodge, still in the fields but with private rooms and pools.
Mai Chau town
early departures and transport only
The market, bus and limousine drop-offs and the Chieu Cave steps, with the least scenery of any base.
Ba Khan and Hoa Binh Lake shore
lake views, kayaking and quiet resorts
Bakhan Village Resort and Mai Chau Hideaway Lake Resort sit above and on the lake, a drive from the villages.
Bao La
luxury and complete quiet
Avana Retreat alone in its valley outside Bao La, about 28 km from Mai Chau town, isolated by design.
Don Village, Pu Luong
terraces and trekking base
Pu Luong Retreat and Pu Luong Eco Garden overlook the Don valley terraces, the base we'd overnight in.
Think twice about
- Mai Chau town main road strip
Traffic noise and no field views. Use town for transport and the market, sleep in the villages or at a lodge.
Best restaurants in Mai Chau
Ban Lac Homestay Dinner
The way most visitors actually eat in Mai Chau, a home cooked Thai set dinner at their stilt house homestay.
3 Sisters Restaurant
A long running village restaurant near Ban Lac with a big Vietnamese and Thai menu and many vegetarian dishes.
Lop Cafe
A small family run cafe in the valley serving vegan soups and Vietnamese dishes, a favourite lunch stop.
Nhà Hàng Hợp Thủy Mai Châu
A large Mai Chau restaurant near Ban Lac serving mountain set menus of hill pork, stream fish and com lam.
Avana Retreat Private Waterfall Dining
A single seating private dinner by Avana's Pung waterfall, the valley's one true splurge meal, booked ahead.
Outdoor things to do in Mai Chau
Don Village
The hub village of Pu Luong, stilt houses under terraces and the natural base for walks to Uoi and Lan.
Kho Muong Village
An isolated Thai village in a limestone valley in Pu Luong, reached by a steep walk down through terraces.
Bat Cave
The largest cave in Pu Luong, above Kho Muong, with a high ceiling, stalactites and a bat colony.
Hieu Waterfall
A tiered waterfall in Hieu village in Pu Luong with pools for swimming, best combined with an overnight stay.
Thung Khe Pass
The white rock pass on the Hanoi road, with a viewpoint and food stalls looking straight down the Mai Chau valley.
Go Lao Waterfall
A roughly 20 metre waterfall in bamboo forest near Hoa Binh Lake, with a clear pool for a dip after the ride in.
Hoa Binh Lake
A vast reservoir locals call Ha Long on the mountain, best seen by boat or kayak from the Ba Khan shore.
Pa Co Market
A Sunday only Hmong market high in Hang Kia Pa Co, 5am to 9am, for brocade, produce and street food.
Best hotels in Mai Chau
Avana Retreat
Mai Chau's only true luxury resort, villas and a cloud pool on a hillside by its own Pung waterfall, outside Bao La.
Mai Chau Ecolodge
A 21 bungalow eco lodge on Pom Pu Hill at Na Thia, with valley views, a pool and no televisions in rooms.
Bakhan Village Resort
A quiet lake view resort at Ba Khan above Hoa Binh Lake, the base for Go Lao, kayaking and boat trips.
Mai Chau Hideaway Lake Resort
A rustic resort on a private peninsula in Hoa Binh Lake, with an infinity pool and kayaks at the door.
Pu Luong Retreat
The best known lodge in Don village, stilt houses and bungalows with an infinity pool over the terraces.
Pu Luong Eco Garden
A terrace view lodge with an infinity pool near Don and Bang villages, a comfortable Pu Luong base with tours.
Little Mai Chau Homestay
A friendly Na Phon homestay with bungalows and a dorm, free bikes and rice field views at budget prices.
Mai Chau Countryside Homestay
A family homestay in Pom Coong with bungalows over a small lake and home cooked Thai dinners.
Is Mai Chau expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₫450,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₫1,500,000 a person |
| Splurge | ₫5,000,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Don Village: a few days ahead
- Kho Muong Village: a few days ahead
- Hoa Binh Lake: a few days ahead
- Pa Co Market: a few days ahead
- Avana Retreat: weeks ahead
- Mai Chau Ecolodge: a few days ahead
- Bakhan Village Resort: a few days ahead
- Mai Chau Hideaway Lake Resort: a few days ahead
- Avana Retreat and its waterfall dinner need weeks, and Pu Luong Retreat needs 3 to 4 weeks for harvest weekends.
- Book weekend limousine seats from Hanoi days ahead, and arrange a Pa Co Sunday car by Saturday for a 07:00 departure.
Is Mai Chau safe?
- The main risks are road traffic on Thung Khe Pass and the Pu Luong roads, slippery cave steps and muddy trails in rain.
- Take ruou can and homemade rice wine only in small amounts from your host, and refuse spirits of unknown origin.
- Drug laws are severe, including for use before arrival. Emergency number in Vietnam is 113 for police and 115 for ambulance.
Mai Chau travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Ban Lac textile row at tour group hours, when prices rise and lanes clog.
- Over-ordering group set menus, which already feed more than their stated number.
- A Pu Luong day trip promising Don, Kho Muong, the Bat Cave and Hieu Waterfall in one day is driving, not trekking.
Getting around Mai Chau: public transport and more
- There is no airport and no train. Hanoi is 135 to 145 km away, 3 to 4 hours by road, via Thung Khe Pass.
- Limousine vans from Hanoi cost about 250,000 to 350,000 VND per seat; public buses cost about 80,000 to 150,000 VND and may drop you at Tong Dau.
- Cycle free homestay bikes in the flat valley, and arrange a car with driver through your stay for the lake, Pa Co and Pu Luong.
- There is no Grab and no taxi rank in Pu Luong, and the Mai Chau to Pu Luong drive is 1.5 to 2 hours for 46 to 65 km.
Who Mai Chau suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Mai Chau your trip
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